This invention is directed to a photoreceptor for use in electrophotography and, more particularly, to an electrochemical method for forming a layer including selenium and tellurium in a photoreceptor.
The formation and development of images on the imaging surfaces of photoconductive materials by electrostatic means is well known. The best known of the commercial processes, more commonly known as xerography, involves forming an electrostatic latent image on the imaging surface of an imaging member by first uniformly electrostatically charging the surface of the imaging layer in the dark and then exposing this electrostatically charged surface to an imagewise pattern of activating electromagnetic radiation. The light-struck areas of the imaging layer are thus rendered relatively conductive and the electrostatic charge selectively dissipated in these irradiated areas. After the photoconductor is exposed, the electrostatic latent image on this image bearing surface is typically rendered visible with a finely divided colored marking material, known in the art as "toner". This toner will be principally attracted to those areas on the image bearing surface which retain the electrostatic charge and thus form a visible powder image. The electrostatic latent image may also be used in a host of other ways as, for example, electrostatic scanning systems may be employed to "read" the latent image or the latent image may be transferred to other materials by TESI techniques and stored. A developed image can then be read or permanently affixed to the photoconductor where the imaging layer is not to be reused.
In the commercial "plain paper" copying systems, the latent image is typically developed on the surface of a reusable imaging member, subsequently transferred to a sheet of paper and then permanently affixed thereto to form a permanent reproduction of the original object. The imaging surface of the member is cleaned of any residual toner and additional reproductions of the same or other original objects can be made thereon.
There are known in the art photoreceptor configurations wherein the functions of absorption of imaging radiation and the generation of charge carriers on the one hand and charge carrier transport on the other are carried out primarily by means of separate but contiguous layers. It is also known in the art to employ alloys of selenium and tellurium as the photoconductive insulating layer in a photoreceptor.
In well established technical fields such as xerography, new techniques are often proposed for the formation of articles used therein. The present invention is directed to a method for forming a photoreceptor wherein the photogenerator layer includes selenium and tellurium and is formed by an electrochemical technique.